Peter Zhang
Jan 16, 2026 06:47
OpenAI and SoftBank each invest $500M in SB Energy to build 1.2GW Texas data center, advancing the $5 trillion Stargate AI infrastructure initiative.
OpenAI and SoftBank Group are betting big on AI infrastructure, jointly investing $1 billion in SB Energy to construct massive data center campuses—including a 1.2-gigawatt facility in Texas designed to power the ambitious Stargate project.
The deal, announced January 9, 2026, sees each company contributing $500 million to SB Energy, SoftBank’s energy subsidiary. OpenAI has also signed a lease agreement for the Texas data center, located in Milam County, which will create thousands of construction jobs when operational facilities begin coming online later this year.
Stargate Gets Real
This investment builds on the $5 trillion Stargate commitment announced at the White House earlier in January. While that headline figure drew skepticism from industry observers, this billion-dollar deployment represents concrete capital hitting the ground.
SB Energy is now developing multiple gigawatt-scale data center campuses, with first facilities already under construction. The company received an additional $800 million in redeemable preferred stock from Ares Management to fuel expansion.
“This partnership combines both companies’ strengths: their expertise in data center infrastructure and energy development, and OpenAI’s deep experience in data center engineering,” said OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman.
SoftBank Deepens OpenAI Ties
The investment extends SoftBank’s growing stake in OpenAI’s ecosystem. As of December 26, 2025, SoftBank held approximately 11% ownership in OpenAI. The two companies also operate SB OpenAI Japan, a joint venture marketing enterprise AI solutions under the “Cristal Intelligence” brand.
As part of this new deal, SB Energy becomes a significant OpenAI customer, gaining full API access and deploying ChatGPT across its workforce.
OpenAI shares on secondary markets traded at $723 as of January 15, 2026, according to Forge Global data. The company remains private, though IPO speculation persists.
Infrastructure Race Intensifies
The Texas facility reflects a broader push to secure AI compute capacity. OpenAI designed the Milam County center to minimize water usage—a growing concern as data center power demands strain local resources. New power generation facilities will be constructed alongside the campus to protect Texas grid users from capacity constraints.
SB Energy co-CEO Rich Hossfeld framed the partnership as essential for “securing America’s future in AI,” noting the company’s track record in speed, cost control, and integrated energy delivery.
With first facilities expected to begin operations in 2026, the Stargate buildout is moving from PowerPoint to power plants faster than many anticipated.
Image source: Shutterstock
Source: https://blockchain.news/news/openai-softbank-1b-sb-energy-stargate-data-centers
